1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a manually operated, multi-purpose impact tool.
More specifically, the invention relates to a tool designed for manual operation which can be used to perform many diverse functions including, inter alia, wood or brick splitting, ice scraping, soil tamping or trenching, survey pin driving and the forming of pilot holes for survey markers or other stakes.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
Devices of the type described herein are the subjects of existing patents, including Canadian Patent No. 1,200,182, issued to L. Beaulieu et al on Feb. 4, 1986, and U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,280,540, issued to G. B. Kirby Meacham on Jul. 28, 1981; 4,308,903, issued to Joseph R. Alloway on Jan. 5, 1982; 4,327,787, issued to Robert J. Loratto on May 4, 1982; 4,350,192, issued to Thomas Dent on Sep. 21, 1982; 4,379,475, issued to Ronald W. Nokes on Apr. 12, 1983; 4,405,005, issued to Dieter S. Zanker on Sep. 20, 1983; 4,431,040, issued to Kenneth L. Friedrich et al on Feb. 14, 1984; 4,577,667, issued to Kevin Gray et al on Mar. 25, 1986 and 5,495,878, issued to Robert E. McKenen, Jr., on Mar. 5, 1996.
It will be noted that the patented devices are designed for splitting wood, but possess features in common with the present invention, namely a bar or rod carrying a cutting head on the bottom end thereof and a sleeve slidable on or slidably receiving the bar. However, in general, the patented devices are single purpose tools which cannot be used as scrapers, tampers or pin drivers. Moreover, some of the devices can be unsafe to use, because they lack means for preventing the shaft from escaping the sleeve when not in use. The tools that do possess a latch or lock tend to be unnecessarily complicated or cumbersome. Finally, the load bearing surface, i.e. the area of the tools bearing the force of impact is often quite small, resulting in short tool life.